When I first moved to Warner Robins in 1981, the hospital was just that — the hospital. I guess sometimes we referred to it by the name at the time, Houston County Hospital, but mostly just “hospital” seems enough. It opened in 1960.

But over the years as our city has grown, so has the facility that provides care to our citizens, and now we are have — and are fortunate to have — the Houston Medical Center.

Unfortunately, I had to spend a lot of time up there in the spring and the summer of this year with my father. His visits seemed to encounter every department up at Houston Medical — the Emergency Room, stays on the regular floors and in the ICU. Along with his regular doctor, we met many other doctors that were called in to confer and met lots of members of the staff.

Every single employee I met at Houston Medical Center, from the nurses and techs who provided daily care to the people who took him for tests to the girl who takes your meal order, all of them were kind, professional and caring. Although the circumstances were far from ideal for my family, it was a comfort to be in a place where my father’s needs were considered so important — not only to us but to the people trying to help him.

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With so many hospital stays over several months, it would be hard to thank everyone who touched our life at Houston Medical Center because everyone we met did in a way. But there was one in particular, one Houston Medical Center employee whom I wanted to mention.

The last one I met.

Her name was Felicia and she is a patient representative. That title doesn’t seem to quite fit because the night in particular, that night I met her, she seemed to be the family representative. It was her voice on the phone that quietly and calmly summoned us to the hospital in the middle of the night, and it was Felicia who sat with my mother and held her hand until I arrived.

She was there when the bad news was delivered and stayed with us until we left the hospital that night, making sure that my mother could spend a few last minutes with my father. That night, Felicia forever became intertwined with the story of my family because as we related the news to our extended family it seemed impossible to tell the events without mentioning this young woman’s incredible kindness and sincere compassion.

I don’t know if all hospitals have patient representatives, but if they don’t they should. Felicia’s kindness and her calm demeanor helped to guide us through a difficult situation, and I will always be thankful to her and to Houston Medical for providing her service.

I can’t thank you all — I don’t even know all your names. So, from my family to the family of the Houston Medical Center, thank you for all you did for us these past few months.